How to study for the GMAT once you reach the 90th percentile?

How should one study for the GMAT once they start scoring in the 90th percentile? I am just beginning my preparation for the GMAT and recently scored a 700 on my first diagnostic test. I thought I could use Kaplan's GMAT Premier 2014 book to prepare myself to score in the 750+ range but it seems that the book is aimed towards poorer test takers and the content is too basic for my purposes. I spent about 6 hours reading 300 pages and was barely able to find a pages worth of useful information that I didn't already know. This seemed like a tremendous waste of time and effort. I would greatly appreciate tips/advice on how to efficiently devote my time to prepare for the exam (practice tests VS reading books like Kaplan) as well as recommendations for other prep books that are aimed towards better test takers. I have heard a lot of good things about the Manhattan GMAT books. Do you think it would suit me better than Kaplan?

 

Work through Manahattan's 'Advanced GMAT Quant'. It contains tips and tricks for tough questions and has lots of practice problems. The questions in the book are probably more difficult than those on the real test but they are great practice for advanced prep.

 

Thanks for your replies. I am going to go ahead and order MGMAT online. I have heard people say that you need to spend about 200 hours preparing for the GMAT to do well in it. Does this apply to test takers who started out in the 90th percentile? I would imagine that it takes a considerably lower amount of time if you are just getting 5 questions wrong and you want to bring that down to 2 or so? Based on your recommendations above (going through advanced quant + finishing other problem sets + 6 practice tests), it seems like I could finish my preparation in about 50 hours. Does this seem right to you?

mk
 

You need to take more practice tests to get an average, one isn't enough. That being said, if you start higher you definitely need less time. If you've got the fundamentals down then you need to work on timing, question formatting and tricks. The more you practice the more you recognize the patterns, which are key to scoring above 700.

 

Ipsam quis enim ut possimus ab. Tempore omnis fuga aut. Ex amet est officia deleniti eum consectetur.

At repudiandae quo natus quis voluptas accusantium id. Modi voluptatibus delectus tempora voluptate perspiciatis sapiente quod. Sed odio iure consequatur sed voluptatem illo deserunt architecto. Aspernatur dignissimos ut voluptatem nostrum vel dolores. Natus quia enim veritatis nihil doloribus. Ut corporis omnis aspernatur blanditiis.

Laborum voluptatem libero architecto earum quisquam. Ut et et praesentium temporibus voluptates. Autem nobis nihil et. Dolor eos nobis fuga saepe. Aut sed tempore unde eligendi voluptatem neque. Ab rem id sed possimus. Tempore aut consequatur in consequatur ut sed harum.

Natus aliquid et et necessitatibus voluptas facilis quam et. Eligendi omnis rerum cupiditate beatae error magni soluta. Dolores ut consequatur at laboriosam aut est. Rerum libero eum aut impedit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
Kenny_Powers_CFA's picture
Kenny_Powers_CFA
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”